Beet Pierogies Recipes

BEET GREEN PIEROGI WITH MIXED SUMMER BEETS, BROWN BUTTER SAUCE, AND RICOTTA SALATA

Steps:

• Set a wire rack over a baking sheet. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt, return to a boil, and add greens; cook 1 minute. Transfer greens to wire rack to cool. Transfer baking sheet to refrigerator and let greens chill for 20 minutes.
• Gently squeeze greens to remove liquid. Finely chop greens, place in a kitchen towel, and wring out any remaining liquid.
• In a medium bowl, mix together Parmigiano-Reggiano and ricotta cheese. Add greens; season with salt and pepper. Mash filling together using a wooden spoon. Filling should be moist enough to hold together when pressed. Filling can be kept refrigerated, in a covered container, up to 1 day.
• Divide pierogi dough evenly into 4 pieces; wrap in plastic wrap. Sprinkle work surface with flour. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, unwrap dough and roll out to about 1/4 inch thick. Feed dough through the largest setting on a pasta machine. Continue rolling dough through machine, decreasing the opening size each time until dough is about 1/16 inch thick. Place dough on work surface and, using a 4-inch round cookie cutter, cut circles from dough. Cover circles with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel while repeating process with remaining dough. You should have 12 to 14 circles total.
• Lightly flour a baking sheet; set aside. Place a scant tablespoon of filling just to one side of the center of each circle of dough. Working with one pierogi at a time, brush the edges of the circle with a damp pastry brush. Fold circle in half to enclose filling, pressing sides together firmly so no air is trapped. Seal edges by pressing down with tines of a fork. Transfer pierogi to prepared baking sheet and keep covered until ready to cook. Repeat process with remaining dough and filling.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Carefully add the pierogi, stirring gently so they do not stick to the bottom of the pot. Return to a boil and cook until the dough edge no longer feels stiff when pinched and looks slightly translucent, 7 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pierogi to a kitchen towel to drain.
• Place pierogi, brown butter sauce, and 1 tablespoon parsley in a large skillet; toss to combine. Place skillet over high heat and cook until heated through, about 1 minute.
• Divide beets evenly between 4 plates. Place 3 pierogi on top of beets; spoon over sauce. Garnish with ricotta salata and sprinkle with remaining teaspoon parsley.

GRANDMA'S POLISH PEROGIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir together the flour and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, sour cream, eggs, egg yolk and oil. Stir the wet ingredients into the flour until well blended. Cover the bowl with a towel, and let stand for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Place potatoes into a pot, and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, and mash with shredded cheese and cheese sauce while still hot. Season with onion salt, salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.
• Separate the perogie dough into two balls. Roll out one piece at a time on a lightly floured surface until it is thin enough to work with, but not too thin so that it tears. Cut into circles using a cookie cutter, perogie cutter, or a glass. Brush a little water around the edges of the circles, and spoon some filling into the center. Fold the circles over into half-circles, and press to seal the edges. Place perogies on a cookie sheet, and freeze. Once frozen, transfer to freezer storage bags or containers.
• To cook perogies: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Drop perogies in one at a time. They are done when they float to the top. Do not boil too long, or they will be soggy! Remove with a slotted spoon.